Aussie, Kiwi and South Pacific Atheists

Breaking News! After successfully challenging the Commonwealth government in the High Court of Australia over funding for the National School Chaplaincy Scheme, Ron Williams is to take them on again. In an attempt to circumvent the High Court ruling, the government has passed some extremely questionable legislation which tears at the heart of parliamentary democracy and public accountability. Williams has consulted with his crack legal team and the decision has been made today (Saturday, 7 July) to mount another challenge.

Mounting a High Court challenge is extremely expensive and Ron Williams is just an average, suburban Dad. If all of us who care about a secular, democratic Australia can chip in as much as we can, it will help enormously. Please consider donating at:

This is your chance to be a part of making Australian Constitutional history!

Embiggen Books - Your Australian Atheist/Skeptical Bookshop

Embiggen Books, an Australian bookstore devoted to promoting science, philosophy, rationalism and skepticism is now on Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Warren Bonett and Kirsty Bruce of Embiggen are also passionate and active members of the atheist and skeptical communities.

Australian Atheist Issues

For new members, if you want to get a grasp of some of the issues effecting atheists in Australia, you might like to take a look at the Atheist Nexus (Australia) submission on "Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century" made to the Australian Human Rights Commission early last year. It's long, but easy reading, and worth spending some time on. A report, using information compiled from submissions, should be released later this year.

Atheist Meetup Groups - Australia

If you'd like to meet up with some local atheists, there's no better way than joining your local Atheist Meetup, Skeptics, or Freethought Groups:

Comment Wall

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All I'm trying to say here is that the link tweeted had nothing to do with what you're saying. What's the point of asking everyone to spread the word about if it's not properly referenced. If social media is going to help Assange to fight this we need to ensure that we are spreading correct information.

Even now you haven't given me something that I can tweet. Where is the link to a reputable news source that supports what you're saying?

I'm not saying that I don't believe what you're saying, I'm just saying that it is pointless to spread rumours around until we know that it has some basis. Google searches on Assange+Belmarsh just look like Chinese whispers.

This doesn't show up anywhere amongst that news. If it ends up being wrong it will make his supporters appear uninformed, reactionary and conspiracy-theory-mongering. If the tweet is incorrect or malicious, spreading the erroneous tweet around wont be useful.

Luke, there is a problem at the moment regarding news about Julian Assange's next court appearance. The original source of the information has had its account suspended. A Canadian supporter of impeccable reputation wants the following to go viral. It is difficult when the powerful wish to prevent information from getting out.

Here's the info. Postings re this on Facebook are being removed.

Assange’s Case Will Be Transferred to BelmarshJanuary 5, 2011 The case of the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, the Court will be transferred to Belmarsh in southeast London, to be treated as a matter of terrorism since January 11 when the next hearing will take place. Through WikiLeaks Twitter account, the site confirmed that a British court decided to transfer the case to court Assange Belmarsh, known for addressing questions related to terrorism.According to reports from the BBC, the court changed the suspicion that the British justice’ll pick up the cases against the founder of WikiLeaks following the guidelines requested by the United States. In Belmarsh is a maximum-security prisons in the UK, which are held terrorism suspects without trial. Amnesty International (AI) considers the British Guantanamo.Assange be judged in terms of terrorism, detention and confinement may be immediate and would complicate his defense since the laws in the United Kingdom, following the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, allows the arrest and detention of suspects .In Washington, the package of initiatives that the Republicans intend to file after the opening of the 112th Congress, emphasizes a thorough investigation on the recent management of the administration of Barack Obama, especially those related to national security and the scandal caused by the leak of secret documents by WikiLeaks.

Of course, CaptainCook, all of these things are very interesting and alarming. Do not imagine that I haven't followed the Assange/Wikileaks story. But the link tweeted doesn't actually say that Assange will be tried at Belmarsh, it is only about Belmarsh. Where does that information come from?

Luke, I am surprised that you say that. Can you not see the relevance? The secrecy surrounding prisoners in Belmarsh is the type of thing Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are certainly involved in exposing. Given that certain powerful people have described Julian Assange as a 'terrorist' and that his next court hearing is to be in this place, I should have thought the association was very clear.

Re 'SRE': One of my (atheist) adult children commented that she might have no objection to her kids attending SRE classes, if thet was what they were--classes teaching about religions--simply informing kids about, say, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Islam . . . but the classes teach only about Christianity (and seek to indoctrinate). Therefore the SRE is a misnomer. This should be called as it is: SCE--Special CHRISTIAN Education.